Whiffletree-iron



(No Model.)

J. W. JONES.

WHIFFLETREE IRON.

No. 561,055. 7 Patented May 26, 1896.-

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ANDREW B GRAHAM. PNOTO umo WASNINGTONJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN IV. JONES, OF ONO-NDAGA, MICHIGAN.

WHlFFLETREE-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,055, dated May 26, 1896.

Application filed February 5, 1896. Serial No. 578,296. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

lle it known that I, JOHN W. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Onondaga, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Whiffletree-Irons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in whiflietree-irons; and its object is to furnish a simple, safe, and reliable whiiiletreedron, one that will not allow the traces to become unhitched when they are slack or when the vehicle is going down hill, as frequently happens with the whiffletreedrons now in use. I accomplish this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of my device, showing part of a trace in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective of a slight modification of the main iron, viewed from the rear; and Figs. 3 and -:L are similar views of the pivoted catch and its pin, respectively.

The same letters are used to indicate the same parts in the different views.

A represents the main iron, adapted to be fitted on the end of an ordinary whiffletree. Of course there is a suitable iron at each end of the whifiietree.

E is a horizontal slot near the outer end of the iron. In the outer wall of E is a seat or notch 6, extending from the rear face to a point about half-way to the front of the iron A.

B is the catch, adapted to be pivoted in the slot E, as shown in Fig. 1, by the pin 1), that passes through the hole (Z in the inner end of the catch. The outer end of this catch is a corrugated surface Whose general outline is a curved surface concentric with a point a little in the rear of the pin-hole d. From the middle of this face Z2 extends a pin 1), adapted to rest in the notch e and forming the bearing for the trace. 0 is the rear portion of a trace having a series of holes 0 of a size to admit the pin 1).

It will be noticed that the pin 1) is of a length sufficient to pass entirely through the trace and rest in the seat 6, thus having a support at each end for the catch 13. This makes a much stronger and safer fastening device than usual.

To fasten the trace, all that is necessary is to push the catchB to the rear, pass the rear end of the trace 0 through the slot E, and slip the pin 1) in one of the holes 0. Then pull the trace forward and the catch B will engage the trace by its Wedge-like action, and at the same time the pin 1) will afford a positive catch. To unhitch the trace, reverse the process.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with the main whiffletreeiron having a slot to receive a pivoted catch and a seat in the end of the slot, of the camshaped catch pivoted in the slot and carrying on its outer face a pin adapted to be supported in the seat in the slot.

JOHN W. JONES. lVitnesses WALTER E. WILcoX, FRANK VAN VLERAH. 

